In His Eyes
by Deserts Of Glass
Summary: "My name's Leo." "Oh." He stood there, staring for a minute. "My name's Glen, I suppose. I still prefer people to call me Elliot though." ;AU;
1. Chapter 1

Elliot approached the boy at the end of the hallway, taking care not to frighten him. It wasn't something he did very often—take so much caution around visitors. Usually he just sent them away with a begrudging Lotti, or an overzealous Lily.

The boy was exceptionally pretty, even with his dark hair covering most of his face, it was clear in his bone structure. _I wonder how he sees like that… _Elliot mused silently. If he had to guess he would say that the new arrival was a little younger than him. _Maybe a year or two? _

The voices in his head all spoke at once, _He has the eyes doesn't he? _

"He has to!" He didn't realize he had spoken aloud until the boy—whose name he still hadn't asked—stepped back further. "No, no, I wasn't— It's not about you, don't worry…"

The noirette lowered his head, making a quiet sound. "Mm." He had a melodic tone that made Elliot wonder if maybe he was a girl. He had just assumed there would be a male successor without asking anyone who might know, and now he was regretting that.

"My name's Leo."

"Oh." He stood there, staring for a minute. "My name's Glen, I suppose. I still prefer people to call me Elliot though."

Unfazed, Leo crossed his arms over his chest, "Odd. I assume Glen wasn't always your name then?"

He was perceptive, Elliot thought, and that made him feel uneasy. "No, it wasn't my name until a few years ago."

"Alright, I'll call you Elliot then." Leo smiled hesitantly, glad to find someone who had explained a little. He hadn't been told where he was, who he was with, why he was there. He decided not to push the issue and risk angering the person who stood across from him. He could hold his own in a fight, but he still wasn't going to risk it here; for all he knew, there could be armed guards hiding behind every curtain and in every nook.

A tall man, maybe about six feet tall walked in and stood next to Elliot, whispering in his ear. The secrecy of it all was beginning to make Leo feel even more frightened for his life. It was obvious his captors weren't entirely sane.

Taking the opportunity to look around, he observed that he was standing in the center of large, nearly empty room. The only things that adorned the walls were portraits. One was of a man with pale hair and an unnerving smile, who appeared to be holding two small children. The next looked to be a picture of the male child from the first portrait as an adult. He had dark hair, and eyes that looked sad, although he was smiling.

There were dark curtains draped over the windows, not letting any sunlight in; the only light came from flickering taper candles mounted on the walls. Absentmindedly, Leo wondered if wax ever got on the walls, and who had to clean it up when it did drip. There wasn't anything to catch the wax, but the floor looked pristine and stain free.

He snapped back into reality when the man standing next to Elliot spoke brusquely, "You. Come. I'm taking you to your room."

Hoping that maybe Elliot would take pity, and ask his subordinates to be more careful with handling this time—he wasn't looking forward to being jerked around with a blindfold any time in the near future—but the dirty-blonde averted his eyes without so much as a sympathetic glance.

He didn't get a chance to see the unnamed man approach before his arm was grabbed roughly by the elbow, and jerked hard. He squeaked, mostly from the surprise, partially from the pain.

The pressure on his elbow was eased however, when the boy he had come to know as Elliot turned and glared at the horrid man who was pushing down on a pre-existing bruise. "Nnh, that hur—"

"Shut up, kid!" He had a gruff voice that fit the image of common thug. Leo realized that he obviously held no power, and didn't want to do anything that could get him in trouble with the boss. But was _Elliot_ the boss? He looked far too docile to be in charge of a large group of people, but the man was looking to him for direction.

"Take him to his room." It was an emotionless statement, not that anything else was to be expected, "…without jerking him along. I'm sure he can walk. Isn't that right?"

There was some quick nodding from Leo, a bit of a smile on Elliot's lips, and most importantly a lack of oppressive hands on his arms. It was a small freedom, but a wonderful thing to be able to walk on his own.

Being pushed inside the room was a jarring feeling. He was standing in the hallway one moment, and sprawled inside a nearly pitch black room next. Terror struck him instantly, it was too dark; he wouldn't be able to see anything. Why was he in a dungeon anyway? The boy hadn't seemed that cruel, to make him stay in a cold stone room with no bedding or light.

There was a scraping noise as a match was lit, and an orb of light was transferred to a candle wick. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that his room was just that—a room. It was a nice room at that; one with a plush looking bed, a dresser, a shelf with books, and a window to the outside. It was locked, but he could still see grass, and a lake in the yard his window overlooked.

He saw the boy he had been talking to earlier walk outside and take a seat near the lake. It was a peaceful scene, a dirty-blonde boy sitting next to a body of water serenely, doing nothing except watch the fish that twisted underneath the surface. The action didn't seem fitting the personality he had viewed earlier. His initial impression hadn't been that his captor was particularly interested in repetitive activity.

Moving away from the window to sit on the soft bed, Leo wondered why he was there at all. He didn't have anyone that would pay a ransom for him, he wasn't a good bargaining chip, and it seemed to be entirely random. He would just blend into a crowd if it wasn't for those cursed eyes. They always seemed to be the focus of attention until he had let his hair grow to cover them.

(To Be Continued With Actual Angst Soon :3)


	2. Chapter 2

**(Someday soon, there shall be angst in this… But until then, pretty lights and tall towers and other awesome things! It's short, but I'll add another longer chapter soon. Until then, farewell, auf** **wiedersehen, goodbye, au revoir, ciao, the usual!)**

Leo had thought the lights would go away once there was a curtain in front of his eyes, but honestly, being as young as he was at the time, he wasn't sure if he wanted the light to abandon him. It was comforting to have something that was always there, an ever present cushion to break his fall.

It didn't really matter if he wanted it to go away though; the hair did nothing to blot out the glowing wisps of energy that danced and swirled around him. That was a secret though. After the reaction he had gotten the first time he mentioned them, he wasn't willing to chance another confession.

It was one of the things that had made him so frightened of Elliot, or Glen, whatever he wanted to be called. Instead of having the lights go skirt around him as they did with most people, they seemed to swirl near him, then tighten around him in a sort of protecti—no, that wasn't it… it was possessive.

Some were next to him still, staying above the water as one hand dipped below the surface, rippling the surface. Feeling claustrophobic for what was probably the first time in his life, Leo backed up—straight into a wall. He sank down to the ground, holding his knees tight to his chest, breathing slowly, trying to convince himself he wouldn't be there forever in that constrictive room.

The air was musty, which was not helping the noirette breathe any easier. Leo stood up slowly, ignoring the initial onset of dizziness. He took large steps over to the window again and grabbed onto the thick bars crossing over each other, glaring at the boy sitting on the stones surrounding the water.

Swallowing the words that were begging to come out, he just watched for a little longer, wondering if maybe someone would remember to bring him food and water, or if his fate was to wither away in a tower. Pathetic excuse for a tower at that; so short and simple… If he was going to die up here, couldn't it at least have spirals and roses? Something beautiful...

He watched as the dirty-blonde raised his head slowly, tilting it up to stare into the window where Leo stood motionless. His voice carried loudly up to the room, echoing off the cold walls. "You're still staring at me?"

"Um." For what was possibly the first time in his life, Leo couldn't think of a _single word _to say.

"It's okay, you can speak, you know. I'm not going to take offense and lock you away in a dungeon." There was a hint of a smile playing across his features, as if he actually found the whole situation humorous.

Of course he wasn't going to bite the hand that was (not) feeding him, but a little nip couldn't hurt. "Hm. I'm not going to be…" he looked around dramatically, "locked up, you say?"

"Would you _like _to be let out?" It couldn't possibly be that easy though. He must have just been teasing, or about to replace the room with something much worse. "I could bring you down here if you wish." Or he was going to be forced to hold a conversation with… Elliot?

Hesitating for a minute, the boy nodded slowly and silently. He watched as Elliot beckoned for someone just barely out of his sight to come closer. When he became visible, Leo breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't the horrid girl with all the pink, or the rough man that had dragged him away. Anyone would be better than one of them.

The man conversed quietly with the boy who was clearly above him in rank despite his young appearance for a short amount of time, before he walked away, pushing open the heavy doors to the foyer. There were no more eyes staring through the window at him anymore; he had been ignored in favor of picking away at the edges of the stones he sat on.

Oh well, he'd be out of the room much sooner than expected, and he would have plenty of time to learn about Elliot then. Even just observing him might give important insight into why he was in the manor.


	3. Chapter 3

After being led out of his room- kindly this time, the other buffoon could benefit from a lesson or two from this man- he was taken through a different set of grand hallways, much easier to appreciate when his immediate safety was at least somewhat secured. The marble floors were clearly shined meticulously with a scentless polish, and the amount of detail put into the carvings above every doorway was shocking to say the least.

They were smooth, perfect circles with diamond shapes portruding from the perimeter, and what looked like a clock hand in the center. It wasn't a symbol from any noble families he had ever heard of, so maybe it was just meant to be a little reminder of mortality? Time passing rapidly, death approaching, that sort of thing? It looked like a clock, with the hand rotating a miniscule amount with every door he passed through.

Or it could just be a pretty design for the astethic benefit of the home.

The noirette snapped out of his thoughts when the thick door was pulled open, hitting the opposite wall with a bang. He flinched, partly from the loud noise, partly from the blatant disrespect of a house that was probably hundreds of years old and had no doubt _earned _itself a place in history. Even if it was just from managing to stand all those years. That wasn't something many houses in this area of the country achieved; if they were even around after a few years, they were always in a state of horrific disarray.

"Go." He felt a hand on his shoulder, pushing him out of the door and towards his waiting- could he be considered a captor at this point though, since he wasn't actually being held in that room or being restrained? No, it was still the same thing. If he tried to run, he'd probably be dead in less than a minute, so it was definetely the same a being held against his will, and he was absolutely **not **going to convince himself otherwise.

He took a seat next to the blonde, making sure to stay just out of arms reach. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Elliot spoke, "The fish. They're nice, right?" His voice sounded dull, but the expression on his face gave him away, curious eyes trained directly at Leo.

"Mm. They're very... bright." The fish were multi-colored, every hue from red to nearly translucent purple, and they all appeared to be the same kind.

"They were here before I was. I don't think they're supposed to live this long, but somehow they did." He dipped a hand in the water, running a finger in swirls below the surface, "Everyone who lived here has named a fish. It doesn't matter if they were nobles, servants, family; everyone had one. I think it's supposed to be one of those things where you give them the name of someone dear to you."

Leo followed the hand with his eyes, focusing on the delicate wrist that twisted with every movement of his hand. "Have you given one a name yet?"

The wrist twitched to the side, then stopped moving altogether. "No. Not yet." His voice was a little strained, making his words come out with little hitches that shouldn't have appeared in such a short sentence.

"Oh." Still watching the now movement-free hand, he picked at the rough stones absentmindedly. "What are the others called?"

Lips firmly pursed, it look a moment for Elliot to answer. "I don't know... It's supposed to be a secret. It's stupid though. Telling someone the name of a _fish _isn't going to make a huge difference in the world!"

"No, it makes sense. Naming something, anything after someone you hold dear when you can't tell them or do anything about it gives you something to hold onto, or it helps you let go of things that can't happen. It also gives you something that's entirely your own that no one can take away even if they kill the fish. The secret of the name belongs to you alone..."

Somehow, during his speech he had attracted the full attention of the blue eyes that now stared at him, intrigued. "You're reading into it too far."

"I'm not. Having something that can't be stolen from you is almost like having a... chain locked around your leg. It can be bothersome when you don't want it , but it's stable no matter what."

The boy sitting across from him was incensed at being argued with. That wasn't something that happened often seeing as he was the unchallenged authority over everything that occured inside the walls of the castle. "Everything can be taken from anyone in a second. I could kill you, and that would take even your life- which is everything of yours."

The noirettes lips curved up into a smirk, certain he had won the argument, "No. That's not true. If I died at this exact moment, things in my mind I've never told anyone would still be impossible to take. Granted, they wouldn't be mine anymore seeing as I'd be deceased, but you would still be unable to take them from me."

The blue eyes narrowed, making a bit of a chill run up Leo's spine, but against his better judgement he continued speaking. "I see you aren't used to people telling you that you're wrong?"

The only audible sound was the breathing, and of course the loud fear induced beating of Leo's heart, feeling like it was about to work it's way up his throat and come out his mouth to make it's new home on the stones.

**(Betta fish are beautiful. Also, I almost had Elliot name his fish Edwin, but.. D: 'Twas not in the foreseeable future.)**


	4. Chapter 4

"It doesn't matter if I'm _used to being told I'm wrong_! All that matters is that I'm not. Naming a fish after a person means nothing! It's a name. There are thousands of people in the world with that exact same name! It's just letters after all!"

Leo exhaled loudly, closing his eyes to dwell in the darkness for a minute and decide exactly how he was going to explain. "If you burn a piece of paper with a bad memory written on it, that doesn't mean it was never there, but chances are you'll forget about it faster, correct?"

Looking confused, Elliot nodded slowly, drawing his hand out of the water to rest on the stones.

"It's the opposite here. If this fish is named after your... brother, then you'll feel like you have something to cling to of him, even though it's just a name. You might even start drawing parallels between the two." Feeling content with his answer, he leaned back slightly, not enough to fall backwards, but still balancing on the edge.

Not noticing the small movement from his companion, Elliot continued on, his voice getting gradually louder, "So it only works if you're delusional and want a fish to replace your family." He scratched at the stones and watched as tiny grey flecks fell to land on the grass.

"It can be beneficial for some people." Leo didn't want to say anything more considering the uncomfortable change in atmosphere.

Elliot chuckled dryly, "How do you know about these things anyhow?"

The noirette raised his eyes again, still avoiding looking directly at Elliot, training his eyes to the sky instead. "I read. It's entertaining, and there's nothing quite as rewarding as learning something new and expanding on that knowledge." He crossed one ankle over the other in a mindless motion; curling into himself subtly and tilting back no more than an inch.

That motion was enough to rid him of any balance, sending him propelling backwards into the icy water with a loud cry of distress. The boy sitting next to him made no attempt to help him, or to move away; his only visible reaction being to flinch as the water hit him.

Leo gulped in a huge mouthful of water, choking as a fish brushed against his face, flailing his limbs desperately in an attempt to back away from it. He stayed underwater for a moment until he regained his sense of direction and pushed himself back upwards, gasping in air loudly when he reached the surface.

When he had enough air in his lungs to speak again, he exclaimed loudly, "Why didn't you help me?! You could've at least grabbed my arm or something!" He rested his arms on the side of the pond, still in the water—which was a lot less frightening when he realized he could touch the bottom if he stretched.

"You weren't going to drown. It's barely over five feet deep. If you can drown in that much water you deserve a medal." He chuckled to himself, "Although it's not like you'd be able to collect it…" He let the sentence trail off in favor of quirking an eyebrow at Leo and beginning a new statement. "You look funny like that."

"Are you kidding me!? That is not _barely _five feet. I could drown in that! It has to be at least six, for starters. And anyone could drown in this… thing even it was shallow!" He huffed indignantly; running his fingers through his bangs, making sure the water hadn't pulled them too far away from his eyes. He paused, fingers still tangled in the dark hair inches away from his face, "What do you mean, I look funny like this? Does the idea that I almost drowned amuse you in some way?"

"You just look… funny." He reached out to take Leo's hand and aid him out of the water, but the contact was lost barely even a second after he grasped his wrist; the dark-haired boy jerked back violently, ripping his arm free.

"No! Don't touch me!" He screamed the words, not caring who heard, but doubting that anyone would come running even if they did hear. In the back of his mind though, he hoped no one was going to see him like this. He still had some humility after all. It wasn't that he was worried about the wet clothing, but he wasn't quite fond of the idea that someone could see him shaking in fear; they would likely pity him.

Elliot's hand was still outstretched, hovering in the air. He looked shocked at the sudden outburst of emotion from someone who had seemed perfectly collected until mere moments ago. His blue eyes were full of confusion, and he looked genuinely concerned.

With his back pressed up against the opposite side of the pond and his breathing still hitching at random intervals, Leo dug his nails into the side of his face and stared blankly ahead. The two were looking at each other silently, one in confusion, and the other in terror.

_[Would Leo look like a wet cat if he got wet? In this universe, yes; and it would be fricking adorable. Also… Elliot's being nice at the moment, but all good things must come to an end… :c. I promise there's a reason for Leo's reaction too. c:]_


	5. Chapter 5

**To clarify; I'm just adding the last chapter into the beginning of this one, because it seems to flow better c: So you don't have to see the beginning, but it is a different chapter starting about halfway through **

Looking hysterical, Leo pressed himself as far into the stones of the pond as he could, feeling the gritty texture scrape at his shoulder blades. It wasn't important though; the panic was overwhelming, turning what should have been painful into merely a dull ache.

Elliot dropped his hand back down, staring directly at the noirette. "What's wrong?" He attempted to speak calmly, but there was an obvious strain on his voice.

"J-just don't. Don't touch me. Don't." His voice was wavering, but there was no room for questions, each word enunciated clearly and angrily. He was starting to shiver from the temperature of the water, though he still wasn't making any effort to hoist himself over the side.

"All I did was try to help you! You can't be mad at me for that!" Elliot's hand was back in the water, splashing at it aggressively this time. "You **asked **for help!" He angled some of the water to hit Leo, earning a flinch from the already terrified boy.

Breathing deep, he dug his toes into the sand at the bottom of the water, cementing himself in place. "I don't care! I don't care. Just leave me alone! Go away! I shouldn't even be here!" He panted heavily, feeling the oxygen rush into his lungs with a slight burn.

"Hah!" Elliot laughed sharply, barking out the sound, "It's not like you have anywhere else to be. You should be grateful I saved you!" He watched as the expression on the noirette's face turned into one of hurt, then morphed back into anger. "You have no home, or family! At least here you have _food _and a _bed." _Once the words were out he felt a sense of guilt for mentioning the boy's family; he had no idea what had truly happened to them, but he did hear a bit of the gossip from the nosy housewives. If any of that was to be believed, he had overstepped his boundaries farther than would ever be forgiven.

But no, there was no violent outburst, no tears, or anything of the sort. Leo pulled himself together almost instantly at the mention of his family, straightening up immediately and forcing himself to stop trembling. Elliot listened to the melodic voice warp, cracking in carefully contained fury, shaking with every word. "If you _ever _speak of my family again, I will make sure you regret every word of it. I'll give you a pass this once, but don't ever do that again."

He couldn't see the look in Leo's eyes, but a chill ran down his neck all the way to the base of his spine. There was something oddly familiar in the way the words were spoken. It wasn't the words exactly; more the atmosphere that was emerging from him that was setting off alarms in his brain. He was certain they reminded him of someone, but who? He tried to brush off the feelings and focus on the situation at hand.

Elliot knew he was a stubborn person, but he also stuck to being honorable, and when he knew he was in the wrong, the only thing to do would be to admit that. "I'm… sorry, okay? I won't talk about them again." He looked away, trying to make it easier to ignore the uncomfortable silence that followed.

"Good." He lowered his head back down, silently staring at the water. "I'm not apologizing for your idiocy either. You shouldn't have touched me, there's no arguing that."

"Fine. I'm sorry for that too, but you can stop talking about it now." He sighed in frustration, never one for extreme amounts of patience. "Now I've apologized for everything I've done that's somehow irritated you. You happy yet?"

Leo nodded slowly, not willing to speak for fear of letting the anger that was still flowing freely through his brain overwhelm him and convince him to say something he was going to regret. There were thoughts of violence, and various threats waiting to spill over his lips and into the air where they couldn't be taken back. That was something he had learned far too often, that the minor things he would blurt out daily would taint the way people looked at him.

Instead of speaking, he would take to his books to say all the things that he wanted to say to the children who taunted him day in and day out, the detestable adults that whispered and pitied behind his back, to every person who had ever made a passing insult in his direction. Even the things he wouldn't admit to himself, the things he didn't know he felt.

It hadn't been easy to withdraw fully into the words at first, but after a while he realized how to focus on the words until someone started approaching, at which point his ears were sharply tuned for _those _words. Every other one got blocked out, except the danger words; the ones that meant he had to turn on his heel and run for his life.

He was yanked out of his thoughts by the sound of Elliot's voice, yet again. "You can speak now. That's generally what you would do at this point."

"…I accept your apology."

"Okay. Now! The sun's setting, which means it's nearly suppertime." He bounced back quickly from his somber appearance, extending a hand to Leo, "May I help you up, milady?" He grinned mischievously, blue eyes sparkling.

Leo hesitated, but agreed after pulling his loose sleeve over his hand before allowing Elliot to take his hand and pull him up. Once his feet were on solid ground, he looked down at his sopping wet form, looking irritated.

"You're soaking. Do you want some of my clothes?" Elliot began walking briskly towards the manor as he spoke, gesturing for the noirette to follow.

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Their rooms weren't all that different, the only major difference being the armed guard outside of Elliot's. It made Leo wonder if maybe there was something precious in the room, considering it was guarded even when the… what was he supposed to call Elliot anyway? It didn't seem right to call him by his name, but just _he _or _him _was even worse.

He brushed away that thought quickly, turning back to the closet that was being opened. It was gigantic, big enough for someone to get lost in. Before he could dwell on that too much though, a ball of white came hurling towards his head. It was a suit… A white suit. Didn't these people have anything normal to wear? No. Nearly everything behind the door was white.

He waited for Elliot to turn before unbuttoning his shirt and slipping it off. He held the soft fabric at an arm's length away, taking in the stitching, the fabric, the cut; and came to the conclusion that the pants alone must have cost more than his childhood home. He pulled it on, grateful that Elliot was taller than him since the sleeves on the jacket would now come down to his knuckles.

"Um. You can turn around now." It felt odd to be giving his captor permission to do anything. The statement didn't seem to bother the boy though; he twirled on his heel to take in Leo's more dignified appearance, without a word of protest.

He nodded once, "That's my school uniform, you know." He played with the hem of his own matching attire, tugging at the perfect stitches with his thumbnail. "It looks good on you."

"School?" He blushed when he realized how clueless he must sound. "Uh, I mean, I know what a school is obviously, I just didn't expect you to be—"

"Come on, now. It's nearly eight, and if we don't get there early, we'll face Charlotte's wrath, and I don't think you'll enjoy that."


End file.
